


carried away

by andromedagalaxy



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 07:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14351214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andromedagalaxy/pseuds/andromedagalaxy
Summary: He has so many imaginary lists now, so many things he needs to keep track of. They only just went back to school three weeks ago, which doesn’t seem to be doing wonders for Philip’s mood, but Lukas’s surprise is finally ready. Completely ready, not painted and close, not a few boards from done, not lacking a ladder but complete other than that.No, it’s done, and he hasn’t been so proud of something in a while. He’s even happier because his dad helped him finish it. He knew he had an advantage, since he wasn’t supposed to exert himself, but he was so dead-set on making this happen that Dad saw the determination in his eyes and wasn’t going to let this father-son bonding opportunity slide into the ether. They were mostly silent as they built, but they worked as a unit, knowing what the other needed and how they could help, and Dad didn’t balk when Lukas revealed that this was for Philip. For the two of them, together.“Well,” Dad had said. “Let’s make sure we keep the splinters at bay.”





	carried away

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday to the amazing Li. You are wonderful and I love you <3

Lukas always tries to drive safe when Philip is on the back of the bike. He tries to be safe all the time nowadays, watching for stray nails in the stairs even though they’re never there, washing his hands for an extra minute with that seashore foam soap Philip bought him, locking every door he closes behind him, pulling and tugging on the handle until he’s absolutely sure no one can get in. But protecting Philip has jumped to the top of the Important list since everything happened. 

He has so many imaginary lists now, so many things he needs to keep track of. They only just went back to school three weeks ago, which doesn’t seem to be doing wonders for Philip’s mood, but Lukas’s surprise is finally ready. Completely ready, not painted and close, not a few boards from done, not lacking a ladder but complete other than that. 

No, it’s done, and he hasn’t been so proud of something in a while. He’s even happier because his dad helped him finish it. He knew he had an advantage, since he wasn’t supposed to exert himself, but he was so dead-set on making this happen that Dad saw the determination in his eyes and wasn’t going to let this father-son bonding opportunity slide into the ether. They were mostly silent as they built, but they worked as a unit, knowing what the other needed and how they could help, and Dad didn’t balk when Lukas revealed that this was for Philip. For the two of them, together.

“Well,” Dad had said. “Let’s make sure we keep the splinters at bay.”

It had taken a while, but a shorter amount of time than Lukas had anticipated. For a while, Philip didn’t wanna see anybody, could barely function in his day-to-day, and in between constantly texting him and trying to climb in through his window, Lukas did this. He’d drop everything when Philip needed him, would race over there quick as his almost broken body could carry him, and when he left again he came back here, well into the night.

He was sure Dad thought he was crazy, but Dad never said much. Always kept him on his meds, handing him the pills when it was time and a big water bottle they kept close. Made sure he had his meals, made sure he got his sleep. But he helped him through it, their whole build schedule with Philip-breaks in between. 

It made Lukas feel good, that Dad would help him like this, even silently, in his way. It felt like something, like an open door that both of them just needed to step through. Lukas thinks they’re ready to get there. To accept the vision Mom has probably been pushing them towards since she left all those years ago.

Lukas turns off the road and feels Philip’s arms tighten around his middle a little bit. Lukas reaches down and braces his hand around Philip’s knee, hoping it feels like reassurance, like _I’m here I’ve got you, we’re safe_. Philip’s gloved hands twist a little in Lukas’s jacket, but he seems to relax a bit, and that makes Lukas feel good, too. 

He tucks away the things that make him feel good nowadays, because Erica, his therapist, tells him to. Tells him to keep them all on retainer like they’re his lawyers ready to fight for him—and she says to track them all, no matter how small. So far he has that soap Philip gets him, rum raisin ice cream, which makes his dad laugh, working on and upgrading his bike, blue skies, those sunflowers out in the field, making his bed, printing Philip’s photos at the drug store and Philip himself. Philip’s name on the list in his mind is big and in red and covered in stupid curly q’s, surrounded by hearts, and doused in sunshine. Philip, Philip, Philip. Erica called him lovesick and he didn’t correct her, because there was nothing to correct. He is lovesick, head over heels, every other cliché he could slap to his chest like a name tag, because Philip sort of defines him now. When he could drag a smile out of Philip, or even better, a laugh, it did wonders for his own healing. And Erica loved that, and encouraged it at every turn.

Thus, this project. His heart hammers in his throat, and he knows Philip can probably feel it. He hasn’t really considered Philip not liking this, but he has a tendency to doubt things when he gets too much time to think about them. Another thing he’s supposed to be working on. But he keeps driving, off road now, if he could call driving through the grass up to the tree off-roading. There’s no real hiding what he’s done now, but he isn’t sure Philip’s seen it yet. He stops the bike, touching Philip’s leg again briefly before he pulls his helmet off and gets to his feet. 

Philip gets off the bike too. When Lukas can finally see Philip’s face, he’s looking right up at the tree house. His eyes are wide and shock is covering him in creases. He takes a wrong step and nearly drops to the ground, but Lukas grabs him around his waist before he can. 

Philip doesn’t even look at him, like the near fall didn’t even register, though he braces his hands on Lukas’s shoulders. “So,” he says, still staring up. “That wasn’t there before.”

Lukas laughs, breathless. “Yeah, I don’t know…”

“Lukas,” Philip says, finally meeting his eyes. “What in the hell?”

“I built it for you,” Lukas says. He tilts his head a little bit, blinking. “Well, Dad and I built it. Because I’ve been working on it for a bit…since a little after I got out of the hospital.”

“You were doing this?” Philip asks, and his eyes are shining. 

“Yeah,” Lukas says, his heart racing again, warmth running all over him. 

“Is that why you came over covered in dust sometimes?” Philip asks, swaying.

Lukas laughs again. “Yeah, I tried to play it off as practicing riding, but really we were doing all this…, sanding, sawing, all of that shit. Dad was a big help, it was awesome.” There’s silence and he clicks his tongue, trying not to let the panic swell up. “Do you like it?”

Philip shakes his head and Lukas _does_ start to panic. But then Philip steps forward, closer, and presses their foreheads together. “You built a tree house for me?” he asks, his voice breaking. “You literally—you were hurt, healing—”

“I was fine,” Lukas says, running his hands up and down Philip’s waist. “I took it easy. We asked the doctors, they said it was cool, I had lots of breaks and Dad and I would have picnics in the car—”

Philip laughs, a little wetly, looking down at their feet. “That’s so cute.”

“Yeah, getting spaghetti sauce all over the console was real cute,” Lukas says. 

Philip laughs again and Lukas can’t help it, pulls him into a hug. “You wanna go up?” Lukas asks, rubbing his back, ruffling up the hood on Philip’s jacket. “We don’t have a whole hell of a lot of space up there, but there’s enough that we can stand. That was a trip to achieve, lemme tell you.”

“You’re so sexy,” Philip says, kissing Lukas’s cheek over and over. “Using your hands, building things.”

Lukas shrugs, trying to brush it off, but he’s preening. “It’s not much.”

“It’s everything,” Philip says. He pulls away, wiping at his eyes and staring up at it. “Yeah, let’s…let’s go up.”

Lukas takes his hand and leads him over, admiring his own work. It’s got four windows, a pointed roof, a little patio-type area where they can stand outside up above everything else. He wants to maybe get a grill up there in the future, maybe a lounge chair. He was worried about the supporting beams but Dad stood up there and jumped up and down for him, which felt like a gesture in and of itself. The tree house is painted a soft brown, the roof red, and he’d done all of that himself. The ladder is pretty sturdy too and it feels like it as they climb, Philip first, getting to his feet and waiting for Lukas to join him.

“You built this door?” Philip asks. “Yourself?”

“Yeah,” Lukas says, shrugging.

“This is so cool,” Philip says, in a rush of breath. “You built an actual door. There’s a door here, with a door knob, in a tree.”

“Yeah, I was pretty proud of that too,” Lukas laughs. He remembers how much trouble they had with the hinges. He remembers knocking his own finger with the hammer and fighting back tears and getting a few pats from his dad, kisses from Philip that night when he told him he’d slammed it in the car door. 

They go inside and Philip gets to see Lukas’s favorite part. The main room. Compared to some of the outrageous tree houses online, this isn’t much, but Lukas is still proud of it. He painted it a bright gold in here, with silver outlines, and made sure to put the bug nets over the windows like see-through curtains. The bed pallet takes up the whole right side and he’s got the new comforter and blankets up here, those squashy pillows he got from downtown that he knows Philip likes. The fairy lights are hung up everywhere, around the whole room, and he’s got a stash of batteries hidden in the chair if he needs to replace them. The black and white rug he bought with Dad in Home Depot looks better in here than Lukas initially thought. He’s got two small chairs by the windows that he put nice cushions on, and a tiny table in between them. The cooler is the last thing, and he’s got Chinese takeout in there and a couple beers.

He sees Philip’s eyes hone in on the pictures he tacked to the walls—the photo booth strip of the two of them, where they kissed and laughed and poked and prodded and Lukas was pretty in love with how they came out. That was one of Philip’s good days. Then there’s the candid one Helen took of them on the couch, a week after it all happened, when Philip finally came downstairs and sat under a pile of blankets with Lukas, watching about twelve hours of House Hunters. The two of them talked about what it would be like to live in France, and Lukas thought hard about their future. The picture is cute—he’s kissing Philip’s forehead and Philip commented on how Helen’s angles were nice, how the lighting was good. He seemed to really like it, so Lukas secretly printed it out when Philip was printing some of his riding shots, and got it framed. There’s also his stupid, stupid note that he almost wants to yank down before Philip walks over, collapsing down on the pallet to read it. 

“Is that comfortable?” Lukas asks, to distract him, shoving his hands into his pockets. He’s glad he can stand up straight and he shifts his weight back and forth anxiously.

_I hope this is a nice place that we can relax in together. Maybe one day I’ll build you a real house. We can come here whenever you want to, because this is the tree where you forgave me and you didn’t have to. Where you kissed me and I didn’t deserve it._

_I adore you, Philip._

Lukas coughs loudly. Philip turns, pressing the note to his chest, a dreamy smile on his face. He quickly replaces the note on the wall.

“You can throw that away,” Lukas says.

“Yeah right, crazy,” Philip says. “You can get down here.”

Lukas doesn’t waste time, walking over and climbing down next to him. Philip immediately pulls him down on top of him and into a crushing kiss. Lukas closes his eyes, holding him, touching him, and it feels good up here. Safe. The state they’re always trying to achieve. 

“This is really, really incredible,” Philip says, against Lukas’s lips. “Thank you. So much.”

“It’s nothing,” Lukas says, trying to sound modest even though he’s bursting with pride. “You don’t have to—I wanted to do it. I wanted to do it for you.”

Philip smiles, brightly, beautifully, and Lukas’s heart freefalls into his gut. Lukas touches his cheek, drags his thumb back and forth across that perfect skin. He’ll never stop being floored by him. Everything about him.

“So you adore me, huh?” Philip asks, blushing a little bit.

Lukas feels Philip’s hand twining in his hair and he sighs. “Yeah, you’re pretty great.”

“Pretty great?” Philip asks, nudging their noses together.

“Amazing,” he whispers, kissing Philip’s cheek. “You’re….beautiful.” _The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire goddamn life._ His feelings for Philip are like a tornado, and Lukas is getting carried away. He’d build him a castle if he just had the space. 

“Mmm, no you,” Philip says, and he sounds light and airy, and Lukas wants to jump up and down with this win, of getting Philip to this. He’s almost glowing and that’s how Lukas always wants him. Happy and relaxed. “C’mere,” Philip whispers, stroking Lukas’s neck. Lukas doesn’t wait, leaning in to kiss him softly, so, so glad he liked the surprise. A place for them and just for them, that he built himself. With his dad’s help, but that’s also a win.

They have a long way to go, to get back to real life, where the fear is buried and they’ll be able to go a day without finding it. But Lukas hopes this will help. His kisses get deeper, their tongues sliding together, and he feels like they’re on the right track.


End file.
